Tiny Home - Charcoal IllustrationExhibition Text:
"Tiny Home" connects the downsizing architectural movement involving limitations in space as coinciding with the development of conscious living. This piece was created using SketchUp and charcoal sticks on paper laid upon illustration board, with inspiration coming from Hugh Ferriss responding to zoning laws on skyscrapers and Wheelhaus tiny home design that embody the modernist architecture movement. Text: "Tiny Home"
Size: 60.96 x 45.72 cm Medium: Charcoal on Board Completion: August 2023 |
Inspiration
Verticals on Wide Avenue by Hugh Ferriss
As one of the artworks being examined in my Comparative Study and an artist I've looked at before with my block print and cultural production drawing, Verticals on Wide Avenue by Hugh Ferriss is a rendering featured in his book, The Metropolis of Tomorrow. More specifically in the section "Projected Trends", where not only characteristics of the Modernist Architecture movement are present, but where Ferriss visualized his notion of the trend of urbanization complimenting the growth of skyscrapers. This was particularly noted in New York where when laws restricted the space skyscrapers took up, Ferriss brought up ideas of how architects can adapt. The extent of how much charcoal I've included in an artwork has been complimentary, but not at the scale of a full project. However embracing the much more expressive nature of charcoal with texturing and application that is done subtly in Verticals on Wide Avenue can compliment my technical approach so far. Expanding upon imposing masses and illumination is one of the most notable patterns seen in all his work as he emphasizes architecture, and I believe taking a similar intent into a different design movement can really enhance one another.
|
The RoadHaus Wedge RV by Wheelhaus
As Ferriss was associated with Modernist skyscrapers during a time when zoning laws became established in major U.S. cities like New York that made architects reimagine adding more character to their buildings instead of pursuing higher heights, a present day movement of tiny homes can be great as a source of comparison. As the name suggests, tiny homes are cheaper, leave a smaller footprint, are mobile, and generally are more reflective of individual's values. In the context of zoning laws while the most that tiny homes would pertain to is mobility and square feet requirements, the resident have much more flexibility from the start to use the space for how they want it. The RoadHaus Wedge RV is a tiny home design that aligns with modernist architecture characteristics that can be analyzed to bring in my own design, such as a slicked edge design with angled horizontal windows for natural sunlight that all compliment the constantly changing setting. Not only will a tiny home I designed embody the exterior qualities of the RoadHaus Wedge RV, but actually planning out the interior first to influence the placement of the outer qualities.
|
Planning
Initially before I was going to create a charcoal illustration for Senior Year, back in May I had done a project with MIAD in preparation for a Design Internship. In order to get familiar with Sketchup, a 3D modeling software we were given the task of designing a tiny home for our self and one other inhabitant. This involved having a plan that included the necessities such as a kitchen, sleeping, living, and bathroom area with additional spaces and features. As long as we followed the dimensions given for a typical tiny home size, we had complete liberty to research and come up with our own design based on what necessities we prioritize using the space. As discussed in inspiration in order to plan out the exterior appearance I need to have at the very least a general understanding of how each of these essential spaces and features would be divided among the floor plan. One of the very helpful planning techniques I was taught was having a simple outline of the entire space, and then creating circles that gave generalizations of about how much area each component would take up.
|
At first it might be counter-intuitive to go look at exterior after just explaining the importance of planning an interior first, but one of the ideas not discussed yet involves elevation. One very common method Tiny Homes implement to give more space for the already very restrictive size is to have a shorter second floor that accommodate areas that aren't constantly used, which is an available option given the height needed for two floors falling within the dimensions given. The sketch on the left is very similar to the RoadHaus Wedge RV design and was worth considering on how I could analyzed design elements that are present and bring it to my own work. Most notably the absence of a second floor in exchange for a sloped roof that descends from one direction to allow natural sunlight in throughout the interior. While I would incorporate horizontal windows into the design, I believed that a simple rectangular design would not only align with Ferriss's architectural designs but also utilized the entire indoor dimensions to allow as much space as possible for the layout.
|
Using grid paper and architectural stencils, I was able to build off the generalizations made earlier and have a very accurate idea of how the interior and furniture was arranged. I wanted the entrance to start from one end and have the user transverse through a smaller corridor that contained the kitchen and bathroom area that is meant to encourage movement to the living room where a second floor is absent and natural light from above fills the room. An enclosed bedroom is found at the other end of the doorway, and the second floor is accessed by ladders that lead to additional seating and collaboration spaces. The key importance of mentioning this is that the distinction of the tight corridors where many programs occur in comparison to open ones are translated into the exterior design, with windows and doors being most visibly affected in both planning pages. With a realistic blueprint of my tiny home, I could then lead into the SketchUp software and from there utilize the viewing positions to set up my final charcoal illustration.
|
Process
SketchUp was the modeling program of choice for this project and was a very helpful asset for taking the interior and exterior outlines from the end of my planning section and transforming them into an actual tiny home to scale. I was already given a file that included the trailer where the tiny home would be placed above, and from there I could import my outlines into SketchUp and overlay it on top of the ground. I would start with setting up a foundation of interior and exterior walls to create and visualize each individual space and elevation seen on the left. From there I would start filling each section with furniture that I had outlined previously on my sheet that I had used stencils to measure out approximately how big each item was. Once I got into the SketchUp I had found out about the library that had plentiful of furniture and resources available to download as seen utilized on the right.
Having the interior design helped influence exterior elements after spacing had been accounted for such as windows, doors, trims, and outlines. To wrap up the rendering seen on the sides, I would go in to add materials and texturing throughout the build that matched the real world counterparts. The following images are supporting shots and cross sections of the final SketchUp model that was presented at the end of the May Project from my MIAD Design Internship.
|
Picking it back up Senior Year, I still had access to the SketchUp file and returned to find a view that would compliment the repetitive design and perspective in Verticals on Wide Avenue. Removing the interior that wouldn't be in view in exchange for copying the model multiple times led me to the image seen above. I would then take a projector and aim it towards my charcoal paper so I could begin sketching out the model using a ruler. It was quite a challenge projecting the image onto the paper as often the page would move while sketching and cause me to have to keep double checking multiple times. Besides what was shown in the SketchUp model, I found additional vanishing points outside the page in order to add spotlights around the subjects.
Once the outlines had been finalized, I would begin applying charcoal across the page. This would involve using the long size of a charcoal stick and applying it in wide areas, using a large gentle brush to smooth it out, and then repeat a few more times until the desired value was reached. For tighter corridors I would follow a similar process but instead using slight marks and then spreading them out further with a small flat brush. One of the key components I wanted to acknowledge with future artworks is what aspects are in an artwork literally apart from the research behind it. Originally I would have kept the final product similar to the image on the left as it would have connected better with the minimalist style of Hugh Ferriss more. However conscious material choice is an important aspect of Tiny Homes, so I thought it would be more worthwhile and impact to include. I made additional graphite marks that aligned along a straight edge, and considered spacing depending on the type of material. Erasing away black charcoal and adding small amounts of white charcoal helped when working back to lighter values and adding more texturing such as the wooden wall along the side of the tiny home and the spotlights. After refining each area on the paper, I had cut it out of the notebook and placed it on top of illustration board to complete the work.
|
Experimentation
SketchUp being a new software program to me involves a lot of discovery on my part to understand what each tool is used for. For modeling my tiny home I was using the free version of the software where a "fetch" feature is available where you can type in key words and SketchUp will identify the tool that you need with a description which was really helpful since as you can see on the left there are a substantial number of them. One of the unique aspects of digitally modeling a tiny home in comparison to traditional sketching is having many digital features at your disposal.
The most helpful feature being the ability to duplicate my original design as many times as I needed (with consideration to if the software could run it). I was able to set up two tracks of tiny homes using my preferred exact measurements for spacing and following the xyz axis to find the best angle to transfer onto my page. One of the explorations I made is seen on the right where I had duplicated the tiny home as I did before, but deleted the exterior elements to make the interior ones visible. While I believe that it changed the focus somewhat away from architecture into interior design, it would have still been an extremely time saving tool if I wanted to include furniture without using a projector.
With the use of styles SketchUp can be a very helpful tool for visualizing how my digital design would look in a more traditional sketch. On both sides of the text show a very precise and more rough version of the tiny home which are just a few of the variations available. Since this particular feature removes the texturing of the materials, it can make it much easier to view lines that are hidden due to the dark coloring when the image is projected.
On the traditional art side this illustration was going to be my first project using charcoal as the primary medium, but after I had done my Advance Fine Arts class and Cultural Production Drawing over the summer I had a much better understanding of what materials I would be using. Although beforehand I had bought plenty of charcoal tools, I would realized that I mainly stick to using compressed charcoal with a gentle brush. At last when it came to projecting it become more difficult to make straight lines on subjects that were further away. The way I got around this was using the much larger tiny home to sort of be a guide towards the vanishing point that intercepted the other tiny home in the background.
|
Critique
Similarities
- Modernist Architecture Movement: Simplified, less decorative, and slick edge designs are the particular choices associated with this movement that all pertaining artworks above share to be straight forward rather than highly detailed and clustered.
- Zoning Limitations: Whether it's laws against skyscrapers or having a small footprint of space, zoning limitations is a vital topic that have not only influenced the design from each artist and architect, but responding to accommodate the restriction rather than viewing it as a hinderance.
- Minimal Form: The geometric shapes that make up each respective design can be centralized around rectangular prisms, which at first appearance are a very simplistic choice. However the setting of each project is not defined but rather proposed, as tiny homes and zoning law concepts can be applied beyond the setting showcase in the artworks and designs.
Differences
- Visual Construction: Tiny Home using repetition and a void atmosphere visualizes a composition that escapes the cityscape present in the work of Hugh Ferriss but doesn't present in the artwork the interior design elements that are typically shown with a pre-constructed mobile home like the one seen in RoadHaus Wedge RV.
- Interior Design (Left): RoadHaus Wedge RV's exterior design along with my own artwork takes heavy influence by the interior design process as the core foundation. However the windows and doorways in Tiny Home that allow the inside to be visible are instead blocked out, making the exterior the main focus.
- Texturing (Right): Throughout Verticals on Wide Avenue a consistent smooth texture is applied throughout the entire board, and while that is present in Tiny Home it still does utilize texturing on the subjects to visualize the materials seen in the SketchUp model and real life sustainable mobile homes.
- Modernist Architecture Movement: Simplified, less decorative, and slick edge designs are the particular choices associated with this movement that all pertaining artworks above share to be straight forward rather than highly detailed and clustered.
- Zoning Limitations: Whether it's laws against skyscrapers or having a small footprint of space, zoning limitations is a vital topic that have not only influenced the design from each artist and architect, but responding to accommodate the restriction rather than viewing it as a hinderance.
- Minimal Form: The geometric shapes that make up each respective design can be centralized around rectangular prisms, which at first appearance are a very simplistic choice. However the setting of each project is not defined but rather proposed, as tiny homes and zoning law concepts can be applied beyond the setting showcase in the artworks and designs.
Differences
- Visual Construction: Tiny Home using repetition and a void atmosphere visualizes a composition that escapes the cityscape present in the work of Hugh Ferriss but doesn't present in the artwork the interior design elements that are typically shown with a pre-constructed mobile home like the one seen in RoadHaus Wedge RV.
- Interior Design (Left): RoadHaus Wedge RV's exterior design along with my own artwork takes heavy influence by the interior design process as the core foundation. However the windows and doorways in Tiny Home that allow the inside to be visible are instead blocked out, making the exterior the main focus.
- Texturing (Right): Throughout Verticals on Wide Avenue a consistent smooth texture is applied throughout the entire board, and while that is present in Tiny Home it still does utilize texturing on the subjects to visualize the materials seen in the SketchUp model and real life sustainable mobile homes.
Reflection
Going through the May Project and working with SketchUp as a new process for not only this architecture design but future artworks has been a very refreshing way to approach creating my own buildings. My first illustration was the first project that involved original designs but having to follow traditional art techniques such as perspective drawing to achieve compared to now using a software where I can have exact measurements and realistic dimensions into my work. I believe that as an artist that has focused on architecture and design implementation that these 3D digital design programs can add so much more authentic presence in the work that opens up more room for process and conversation. Hugh Ferriss has been an artist that I've used for inspiration numerous times before, so finding a modernist tiny home that connected with his optimistic perspective on zoning laws was a really interesting experience to uncover a way to make a strong relation with present-day architectural movements.
The biggest challenge in this whole process would have definitely been having to transfer my tiny home onto a physical page that was time consuming, and I'm hoping to revisit using SketchUp later on as a assistance tool instead of a direct projection. With that said SketchUp has been a great tool I've used not only in my May Project but during my Design Internship with their Pro Version, and my favorite part remains designing these structures from the ground up with more consideration and depth each time I use the software. Charcoal is still a medium that can be problematic when the entire page is covered and having to go back on top of it to makes revisions as accidental marks can easily happen, however I really enjoyed the way texture and application of the medium played a role. Overall I hope that others see the improvements being made of designing realistic renderings of architectural buildings and the direction these future artworks will take.
Connecting to ACT
Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause effect relationship between your inspiration and its effect on your artwork?
The charcoal illustrations created by Hugh Ferriss presenting his views of projected trends along with zoning restrictions had my own artwork focus upon modern architectural movements that can showcase those similar limitations to a new audience. Wheelhaus became the frame that had already captured the modernist qualities I was looking for in my own tiny home design, I would just have to translate it into a charcoal medium.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The overall approach of Hugh Ferriss was an optimistic view on the zoning restrictions impacting architects at the time and proposing modernist characteristics as a respond to it, while Wheelhaus embodies those architectural characteristics into the present-day tiny home design.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
While I researched my inspiration,
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central theme of my inspirational research was discovering a relation from the zoning laws present in the early 19th century to present-day architectural movements, which lead me to the idea of tiny home from my SketchUp modelling experience.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
Restrictions in area that is most prominently associated with tiny homes can allow self-expression and management on the spaces and features that are most crucial to your everyday living, even in the sense of necessities the proportion of spacing can be truly telling of an individual.
The charcoal illustrations created by Hugh Ferriss presenting his views of projected trends along with zoning restrictions had my own artwork focus upon modern architectural movements that can showcase those similar limitations to a new audience. Wheelhaus became the frame that had already captured the modernist qualities I was looking for in my own tiny home design, I would just have to translate it into a charcoal medium.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The overall approach of Hugh Ferriss was an optimistic view on the zoning restrictions impacting architects at the time and proposing modernist characteristics as a respond to it, while Wheelhaus embodies those architectural characteristics into the present-day tiny home design.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
While I researched my inspiration,
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central theme of my inspirational research was discovering a relation from the zoning laws present in the early 19th century to present-day architectural movements, which lead me to the idea of tiny home from my SketchUp modelling experience.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
Restrictions in area that is most prominently associated with tiny homes can allow self-expression and management on the spaces and features that are most crucial to your everyday living, even in the sense of necessities the proportion of spacing can be truly telling of an individual.
Citations
Operation Tiny Home. “Why Tiny Homes?” Operation Tiny Home, 2023. https://www.operationtinyhome.org/partners#:~:text=This%20unique%20conscious%2Dliving%20lifestyle,yield%20a%20reduced%20environmental%20impact.
Mok, Kimberley. “Roadhaus Is a Modern Tiny House & RV Hybrid.” Treehugger, May 26, 2022. https://www.treehugger.com/roadhaus-tiny-house-rv-wheelhaus-4858481.
Mok, Kimberley. “Roadhaus Is a Modern Tiny House & RV Hybrid.” Treehugger, May 26, 2022. https://www.treehugger.com/roadhaus-tiny-house-rv-wheelhaus-4858481.